When asked to comment on the contradiction between what he earlier wrote in his work Freedom under Executive Power in Malaysia and his present stand in support of the Internal Security Act (ISA), minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Dr Rais Yatim was reported by The Star today as saying that "I don't stand by what is studied academically" and that when a person made a stand for academic purpose it was merely an academic exercise and should not be held against the author for the rest of his life.

(Well Dr Rais' detailed research and rationale against the ISA is well known by reason of the publication of his past papers/articles and academic work on the subject. What is not known presently is the detailed reasons, based possibly on his research, on why as a politician he now distances himself from his previous stance against the ISA).

It is regrettable that being the only cabinet minister with a doctoral degree in law, Dr Rais should take such a cavalier attitude to and expressing disbelief in the truth of his own academic work that earned him a doctoral degree.

In times of concerns about declining tertiary academic standards, it is a wrong signal to give to our young aspiring to further academic research in their chosen fields and earn their doctoral degrees that they need not have to believe in the truth of what they write and conclude.

The purpose of academic research and work in the universities is to expand knowledge and improve understanding of a given subject and place findings of value and significance to society for its use to benefit. It is supposed to be a serious purpose (from the society's viewpoint) from which pride should be taken.

If academic work were not to be taken seriously by academicians themselves, what is the benefit of such work to society and what will be the standing of higher degrees earned as a result of such work?

In general (with absolutely no particular reference to any person), a statement - that one now does not stand by what he had wrote or said on public record in the past, in whatever capacities (academic, official or whatsoever) - is really quite worrying to an audience to which such statement is presently addressed because the audience would never quite know when they could rely on the maker of the statement to stand by what other matters he had written or said in the past - or for that matter whether he would not subsequently change what he says as well.